“True but I hope we get married”.
Thirteen years after that conversation and fifteen years after he first discovered that she made his heart skip a beat, like a “virus” traces of what stirred his heart towards her back then still flow in his blood stream.
Sitting down at his desk as he types this chapter for his forthcoming book, he reminisces on the years past as it concerns both of them. Seems like yesterday when he first laid eyes on her and a message registered in his teenage brain, a message that was logged into memory for years to come. He still can’t phantom what triggered the message. Could it have been those piercing eyes or the nose with its unique shape and dot on it? Maybe it was her cute look or her small frame. Her no nonsense personality? Not sure.
Those few minutes they had to talk back then- a couple of night walks to her hostel after prep and one afternoon chat, not forgetting the walk round school years after they had passed out- stand out has some of the beautiful times of yester-years. Fast forward to a year after school and you arrive at running into her at the bus-stop which ends in a visit to her house- he smiles as he remembers this day and the fear that ran down his spine when her mother got back just as he was leaving. There was also that other visit where he “escaped” having the bottle of coca-cola poured into a nylon and put in his pocket- she did that to visitors who didn’t take the drink she offered them.
As the years rolled by communication was mostly once a year- her birthday- and maybe the occasional “hello” via text. They went on living their separate lives with him never expressing how he felt about her (at least not to her even though he told a lot of his friends). He once told a friend during PDS days how much he missed her and he even tried to keep tabs on her to find out how she was doing. He can’t forget the day he saw her photos on facebook and he told himself, “bloke this is one babe you missed out on”.
The year 2010 and they get talking again. One relationship and many crushes after, he “still cares” for and about her genuinely. He finds and ally in madam G and so they do a “drop” and then a visit. This time he has to say the words straight to her face (could anything be harder than this?). Deep breath and he brings it all out (surprisingly without stuttering- feels good to be grown-up). Months after, phone calls and visits despite geographical distance in between the answer comes… they remain as friends.
2012 rolls in and she still remains in his thoughts. Got to give it a little try again. Chats on her way to and from work, phone calls and mails, her name constantly his PM on Blackberry, a vals day trip, a little “disagreement”, plenty of space and no birthday message, walking down to the bus-stop, shopping for hair, e.t.c. Not a bad year when you think about it.
Jolting out of his musing and back to this present day, he can’t believe he hasn’t even heard from her so much this year (apart from a 5 second sleepy call on her birthday and a brief facebook chat). Life happens as they say and this must be it. He hopes she is doing great. He has come across a few of her photos online, saved a few and sent her a few messages. He hasn’t had the opportunity to wholly tell her how he felt about her and so decides to put it in the book.
Fifteen years, two relationships and a lifetime after, as her smiling face flashes before him he occasionally reflects if things might have worked out differently. Maybe …
